Originally published at: The counterfeiting trial of J.S.G. Boggs | Boing Boing
…
4 Likes
I highly recommend this slim tome on JSG Boggs, too (which I probably first saw here on the BoingBoing)
7 Likes
It’s an interesting subject, given that all reproductions are imperfect. Does a child’s scrawled crayon drawing of a legal tender note constitute counterfeiting? If not, how ‘good’ of a reproduction does it have to be before it crosses the line?
Surely intent must be present, which the B of E failed entirely to consider, to their dismay.
9 Likes
Yeah, I like money, though.
3 Likes
It’s hard to imagine how else an institution like that could respond, though. The only difference between a banknote and a regular drawing is that banknotes’ specialness is guaranteed by state violence. Being inflexible in a case like this is more important than prosecuting serious forgers, because it establishes that despite what your senses tell you, banknotes are not just pieces of paper.
4 Likes
I’m trying to remember if it was the same person, or a different person who did the same thing with US currency, and had a discussion with the Secret Service. This was back in the 80’s or 90’s, and my memory of those decades is a little fragmented.
3 Likes
most of the time it doesn’t take violence just shared agreement about the value. i mean it’s not like biden or somebody can just say “inflation is over and if you don’t like it i’m sending the military in.”
also, if boggs only did one sided drawings, there might be well… some notable differences between real notes and his.
4 Likes
Thank you!
The first I had heard of him was a PBS show (can’t remember which, might have been Nova) and the subject of the show was currency through the ages, and they had a section on counterfeiting, which included an interview with Mr. Boggs, and a (former) counterfeiter. It was interesting for me, at least. (I still have a fascination with machines and other devices that imprint images on paper.)
IIRC, Boggs was trying to use the drawings as assets for bartering, which makes sense. Currency used to be nothing more than a promissory note that you could exchange it with the federal bank(s) that issued it for an equivalent amount of gold. (back when it was not fiat currency) I am aware of a couple places that tried to implement a means of trading labor/services for goods using paper notes to indicate labor value, if only on a small scale.
4 Likes
i mean i do get a bit afraid – now and again — of goofy coming after me …
2 Likes
1 Like
Copyrighting currency? I… did not expect that. Such a late stage capitalist move, really.
1 Like
“British Banknotes are Copyrighted, and It’s an Artist’s Fault”
I think you mean the Bank of England, British Museum. 
2 Likes
The most bizarre thing about Bogg’s 1993 antics is that the one sided “ten dollar” bill featured the supreme court, which does not appear on any currency
and at the time this what the ten dollar bill looked like.
it features the the treasury building.
6 Likes
In Boggs We Trust
6 Likes
When he did his US dollars, did he think to make the different denominations in varying colours and sizes?
Also, did he mention anything about the metric system?
'Cos those things are nice.
3 Likes
Just for clarity - in UK law, this was not necessary. You either have entitlement to claim copyrights or you don’t. Sticking a (c) on your work is not needed nor is any kind of registration.
It still makes sense if only to advertise to people that you do claim copyright and they can expect consequences if they copy your work.
3 Likes
This topic was automatically closed after 5 days. New replies are no longer allowed.
